Veszprém a török korban (Veszprémi Múzeumi Konferenciák 9. 1998)

Dávid Géza: Török uralom Veszprémben (1552–1566)

Géza Dávid TURKISH RULERSHIP IN VESZPRÉM (1552-1566) They years of the Turkish rule in Veszprém can primarily be presented from the perspective of the history of the public administration due to the sparseness of sources. Barely a month after the conquest of the fortress by pasha Hâdim 'Ali, the beglerbeg's forces on the 1st of June, 1552; Mehmed beg was appointed sancakbegi for Veszprém. Mehmed had up to that date - been active as a za'im with humble material background. The analysis of his Has royalties, however, is worth consideration, since it becomes clear from these sources that Mehmed beg'

s material situation did not get any better - on the contrary, actually, it worsened - because of the applied financial mechanisms. Turkish, and later Hungarian sources follow his career in this position until the May of 1558. At that time, - probably led by a thirst for personal vengeance - he attacked sancakbegi Arslan's camp at Mohács with the aid of beg Veil of Székesfehérvár. The self-disposed action caused his displacement from the position, moreover, the whole unit of public-administration was dissolved, and, from that time on, Veszprém was governed from Székesfehérvár. We have no exact data about the spatial scope of the sancak, since not even after the Osmanli occupation had the taxability of Veszprém been measured correctly: after 1552, there are only minor sums which had been recorded earlier as "prospective revenues". The only c/zye-account known in the area is from the period 15631565, but Veszprém is missing from this document; more precisely, the data concerning the city is fragmentary. Therefore, not even wild guesses can be made about the population figures. It is likely that - just like in the other administrative centres - a considerable portion of the native Hungarian population had moved away. 28